Apparatus for blooming and cleansing cotton and the like.



.L. F. REARDON. APPARATUS FOR BLOOMING AND CLEANSING COTTON AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION rum) mum, 191s.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

INVENTORZ oivw Qua -M Mmm J. F. REARDON. APPARATUS FOR BLOOMING AND CLEANSING GOTTON- AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 24, 1913. L1 gg gmg A Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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APPARATUS F OR BLOOMING AND CLEANSING COTTON AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. a. 19115.

Original application filed May 29;, 1911, Serial No. 630,140.. Divided and this application vfiled. July 24, 1913.

' Scria1Il'o.780,852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. ,R'nAnnoN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

. Serial No. 630,140, for which Patent No.

1,111,761 was issued September 29, I914.

The objects of the invention are to remove the seed, dirt, leaf, and other foreign matter from the cotton without breaking or damaging the fiber; to effect such removal without resorting to mechanical beating of the cotton; to utilize for this purpose jets of air under pressure, either alone or in connection with special impact surfaces to receive the cotton; to subject the cotton to the action of such jets of air while it is in motion, either directly from said currents or by the use of additional means; to provide for receivingthe dirt and other foreign matter as it is removed from the cotton, and to obtain other 1 advantages and results as may be brought outin the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figof the trunk taken on line A-A of Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is a vertical section of the same taken on line lB-B of'Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the apron cleanser which is shown in section in Fig. 1, said Fig.4 being taken on line (3-0 of Fig. 1; Fig.- 5 is a transverse section taken on line D-D of Fig. 1-, and Fig. 6 isa detail longitudinal section of one of the nozzles for supplying jets of compressed air.

For purposes of illustration I have shown my improvements applied to means 'for opening and loosening the matted cotton as taken from the bale, although I desire it to be clearlyunderstood that I do not limit myself to the treatment of cotton at this stage alone, but can apply my improvements to cleansing cotton at any stage of its treat ment where it may be found advantageous to do so. i

In said drawings, 1 indicates a baleopenerof any ordinary and well-known construction, and from which the cotton is adapted to pass into a tubular goose-neck 2, and through a trunk 3 to a condenser 4;, which condenser is of any ordinary and well-known construction, although the goose-neck 2 and trunk 3 embody featurw of my invention next to be described.

It will be understood that the cotton is drawn through the goose-neck 2 and trunk 3 by suction applied through the condenser 4 in any ordlnary and Well known manner.

Upon entering the goose-neck 2, the cotton lar passage of the goose-neck at the opposite side from the first nozzle 5. In some such manner, therefore, the cotton is subjected to one ormore jets of air under pressure, and it will be understood that any desired number of jets may be employed, and that'they may act successively upon the cotton as it passes along by suction or a plurality of'jets may act simultaneously upon the cotton. The jets may engage the cotton in any direction or directions desired, and the pres: sure of said jets may bevaried at will and to 'suitdifferent conditions. The effect of said jets of air upon the cotton is to loosen and diffuse the same and to remove from it seed, dirt, pieces of leaf and other foreign matter, without breaking or injuring t e fiber of the cotton. This is the main feature of my invention, to clean the cotton without injuring or breaking its fiber. The cotton passes on throughthe goose-neck 2, the dirt which is removed escaping at the bottom through a grate 7 of ordinary and wellknown construction, and so comes to the trunk -3. Said trunk 3 is shown as rectangular in cross-section for its main portion providing a passage for the cotton and being somewhat wider than high. At intervals in said trunk are downward extensions or depressed receptacles- 8 for dirt and foreign matter, across the top of which are grids forming portions of the floor of the cotton passage and through which the dirt may fall. The bars of said grids 9 are preferloo ably inclined to -the length of the trunk or direction of movement of the cotton, and I have shown such inclination as 7 7% degrees, although it obviously can be varied. An occasional bar in each gridis raised slightly above the level of the next adjacent ones, as v for example, every sixteenth bar may be raised a quarter of an inch. -I do not confine myself to these figures, as more or less bars may be raised, to greater or less height. The purpose is to present a slight obstruction to the cotton in passing, so as to aid in removing the dirt and other foreign matter.

The inclination of the bars of the grids not only presents more space through which thebe otherwise varied. For greater definiteness, however, I have shown the particular arrangement next to be described, although I do not limit myself thereto. A U shaped lateral bend is formed in the trunk, as at 10, and-a nozzle 11 directs a jet of air longitudinally of the first arm of said bend, while a second nozzle 12 just beyond the curve of the bend introduces a jet of air longitudinally of ,the second arm of said bend. The cotton as-it passes around said bend is thus thoroughly and efiectively en-. gaged by the said jets of air under pressure, and at the same time its onward progress is not impeded or retarded. The said nozzles 11 and 12 are shown leading through the upright sides of the trunk, or its bend 10,

and directly opposite each of them the side wall of the trunk or its bend is provided with a group of projections or protuberances 13 which incline in the direction of movementof the cotton, so-that it may impinge thereon without danger of catching,

or belng obstructed from onward passage. These pins 13 may be of any suitable size and length, and arranged at any desired distance apart, but I preferably arrange them about an 1nch and a quarter apart at an angle of forty-five degrees and make themaboutv an inch and a quarter long of conical shape with a base a half inch in diameter. The cotton passes onto a second set of pins 13 as it leaves the bond 10, and then passes over one of the grids 9. The

successive bends '10 of the trunk alternate in direction of projection, one being to one side of-the trunk and the next to the other side, preferably, and the bars of the grid next succeeding any bend incline from the side of the trunk toward which said last preceding bend projects forwardly toward the opposite side, as shown in the drawings.

Obviously any number of grids or grid sections 9 may be employed as desired, and

may be of any length or any distance apart.

variously located The air jets may also be with respect to said grids or grid sections, as I have already indicated, so long as they carry out my invention.

From the trunk 3 the cotton passes into the condenser 41: which is of any common and well-known construction, and therefore only diagrammatically shown in the drawings. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the suction which draws the cotton through the trunk 3 is applied through the condenser, and in the condenser such motion of the cotton is terminated. From the said condenser 1 the cotton drops by gravity onto the conveyor or apron 14: of the apron-cleanser 15. The passage of the cotton through the trunk 3 has been extremely rapid, and the apron-cleanser is employed as a means for subjecting the cotton to the action of jets of air under pressure while said cotton is moving more slowly. The conveyer or apron 14 is made up of transverse slats or strips 16 spaced upon flexible bands, so that dirt and other foreign matter removed from the cotton can fall between the slats while the cotton is retained, The said endless belt or apron 14 carries the cotton slowly forward away from the condenser, and during such movement the cotton is subjected to 'ets of air under pressure from nozzles 1 leading through the walls of a casing 18 which incloses the cotton above the belt or apron 14. I have shown these nozzles as directed inward through the upright walls of the casing at the sides of the belt or apron and transversely of the same, but do no restrict sired,-as by means of the tube 19. Such subsequent operations may be lapping, or otherwise.

For supplying airunder pressure to provide the jets described, I have shown in the drawings a main pipe 20 which extends alongabove the trunk 3 and has at proper intervals branches 21 leading downward to the nozzles'll and 12. Other'branches 22 extend to the nozzles 5 and 6 of the gooseneck 2,, and still other branches 23 su ply the nozzles 17 of the apron-cleanser. aid nozzles may be of any suitable detail construction, but I have shown each branch of the air-pipe terminating in a T-connection nozzle is to be directed sively 24, one arm of the cross-piece of which screws into the wall through which the and the other arm of said cross-piece receives a closing cap 25. The nozzle-proper is simply a small plug 26 which screws inside the outlet arm of said T-connection, and has through itself a small bore or hole, preferable about five-thirtyseconds of an inch in diameter. Said plug can thusbe readily removed for cleaning or the like by. taking oii the cap 25.

It will be noted that I have shown cotton being diffused and cleaned by jets of compressed air both while moving slowly by mechanical means and while moving more rapidly by suction or pneumatic means, and it will be obvious that cotton could be also acted upon-by jets of air under pressure while it was stationary except as to the movements given it by the jets of air themselves. All these are within the scope of my invention, any combination. Furthermore, while I have used the word air throughout this descriptioml intend to signify thereby any gas or fluid which can be utilized for the purpose, without restricting myself excluto atmospheric air. Cotton, also, is used in similar broad sense, and l intend and desire to cover the cleansing of, any material having similar 1 qualities or characteristics and to which my improved process could be similarly adapted.

Having thus described what I claim is,-

1.- The combination with a chamber or casing adapted to confine cotton for transportation in a general direction, and ineans for passing cotton through said chamber or casing, of means for introducing a jet of air under pressure into said chamber or casing against the cotton transversely of its direction of motion through the chamber or cotton,

casing.

2. The combination with a chamber or casing adapted to confine cotton for transportation in a general direction, and means for passing cotton through said chamber or casing, of means for introducing a jet of air under pressureinto said chamber or casingat difierent points around the same and direction of movement of the cotton. j

3. The combination with a chamber or casing adapted to confine cotton for transportation in a general direction, and means for passing cotton through said chamber or casing, of means for introducing jets of'air under pressure into said chamberor casing against the cotton transversely of its direction of motion through the chamber or casing.

4. The combination with a chamber or' inlet and outlet means for casing having means for -passing cotton and easing having inlet and outlet means inclined in the either used singly or in the invention,

composed of spaced through said chamber or casing, of nozzles opening through the walls of the chamber or casing intermediate of its inlet and outlet means and at an angle to the direction of movement of the cotton, and means for supplying compressed air to said nozzles.

The combination with a chamber or casing having inlet and outlet means for cotton, of means for introducing a jet of air under pressure transversely of said chamber or casing, and projections upon the interior surface of said chamber or casing for said jet to impinge upon. 7

6, The combination with achamber or for cotton, of means for introducing a jet of air under pressure transversely'of said chamber or casing, and pro ections. upon the interior jet to impinge upon,

direction of movement of the cotton.

v'4'. The combination with a trunk having a lateral bend or offset in itself, and means for passing cotton through said trunk, of means for introducing a jet of compressed air through the outer side of said transversely of the passage thereof.

8. The combination with a trunk having a lateral U-shaped bend through which cotton is adapted to travel, of means for introducing jets of compressed air oneinto each arm of said bend at an angle thereto.

9. The combination with a trunk-having a lateral U-shaped bend through which cotton is adapted to travel, of means for introducing jets of compressed air into each arm of said bend, said jets being both directed in the direction of onward or forward movement of the cotton.

10. The combination with a trunk through which cotton may pass, said trunk having a depressed receptacle for dirt andother foreign matter, of a grid forming the floor of said trunk over said receptacle and being bars extending obliquely across the floor of the trunk, said grid having at intervals of'its length a bar raised above the adjacent bars on both sides of said raised bar.

combination of a grid for separatmgdirt' and other foreign matter from the cotton,

means for. passing cotton through 'said trunk, means adjacentto said grid at its rear end for introducing a jet 0 air under pressure into' said trunk, upon the to said grid for upon, whereby the cotton the grid.

and projections the jet of air to impinge is opened up for bend inner wall of the trunk adjacent a 12. The combination with a chambered casing, and means for passing cotton. through said chamber or casing by suction,

of means for introducing a jet of air under 'pressure-ihto said chamber or casing transversely of the direction'of movement of the cotton.

13. The combination with a chamber or casing, and means for passing cotton through. said chamber or casing by suction,

of means for introducing jets of air under pressure into said chamber or casing at different points around the same and transversely of the direction of movement of the cotton. V

. 14. The combination of a'chamber or casing, means for passing cotton through said chamber or casing by suction, means for introducing'a jet of air under pressure into said chamber or casing transversely of the direction of movement of the cotton, a condenser, a second chamber or casing, a con veyer for carryingcotton from said con-- denser through said second chamber or casing, and means for introducing a jet of air under pressure into said second chamber ",or casing transversely of the direction of movement of said conveyer.

15. The combination of achamber or-cas- .ing, means for passing cotton through said chamber or casing by suction, means forintroducing a jet of air under pressure into.

said chamber or casing transversely of the under pressure-into said second chamber or.

A casing direction of movement of the cotton, a con- 1 denser, 'veyer denser casing in different directions transversely of the conveyer.

- 16. The combination of a chamber or casing, means for passing cotton through said chamber or casing by suction, means for introducing jets of air under ressure .into said chamber or casing at di erent points around the same and transversely of the direction. of movement of the cotton, :.a condenser, a second chamberor casing, a conveyer for carrying cotton from said con denser through said second chamber or casing, and means for introducing a jet of air under pressure into said second chamber or casing transversely of the direction of movement of said conveyer.

17. The combination of a chamber or casing, means for passing cotton through said chamber or casing by suction, means for introducing jets 0 air under. ressure into said chamber or casing at di erent points around the same and transversely of the direction of movement of the cotton, a con-.

denser, a second chamber or casing, a conveyer for carrying cotton from saidcondenser through said second chamber or casing, and means vfor introducin jets of air under pressure into said secon chamber or in different directions transversely of sald conveyer.

JOHN F. REABDON. Witnesses: I

CLEOPHAS P. Bowm, ARTHUR A. CHANDLER. 

